Reversible input/output (I/O)

ABSTRACT

A reversible I/O apparatus for a POS terminal includes a housing with a motherboard sled removable from the housing to reverse the I/O peripheral ports of the motherboard to a front orientation or a rear orientation.

BACKGROUND

Point-Of-Sale (POS) terminals are often comprised of: a motherboard, oneor more hard drives, and a variety of peripheral ports to interfaceperipheral devices to the motherboard. The peripheral devices caninclude such things as: network ports (such as Ethernet),monitors/displays, keyboard, card readers, scanners, cash drawer,receipt printer, camera, PINpad, signature input device, and the like.

The motherboard, hard drive(s), and peripheral ports are provided in asingle housing and typically stowed under the cash drawer or somewherein close proximity to the monitor and/or cash drawer.

Conventionally, the motherboard is designed with a front facing power onand off button and Light Emitting Diode (LED) indicators providing avisual status of what state the motherboard is in, e.g., on, off,working on some activity, etc. The Input/Output (I/O) peripheral portsare located in the rear of the motherboard. This configuration isbelieved superior so as to hide cabling cords connecting peripherals tothe I/O peripheral ports while providing easy front access to the powerbutton and the LED indicators.

However, in practice, the housing of the motherboard is usually placedon a shelf or in a cabinet with little available physical space tospare, such that removing the housing for service requires pulling thehousing with attached cables entirely out of the cabinet or enclosure toaccess the I/O peripheral ports and associated cabling. In somesituations this requires substantial physical dexterity to hold thehousing with one hand while trying to disconnect one or more cables orattach a new cable to the I/O peripheral ports with the remaining hand.Moreover, a POS terminal's motherboard housing can have many cablesattached, such that trying to figure out what cable goes where afterdisconnecting the cables can be problematic.

The time it takes to actually remove the housing from is enclosure orcabinet can also be more than a normal service operation (i.e.,upgrading Random Access Memory (RAM), checking internal motherboardcomponents, removing internal dust, etc.). Many retail stores can havehundreds of POS terminals, in integration trays that require annualpreventive maintenance service. The time it takes a service engineer tojust access the POS terminals for service is a significant percentage oftotal service time.

SUMMARY

In various embodiments, reversible I/O apparatuses for a POS terminal, amethod of reversing I/O within an apparatus, and a POS terminal havingthe reversible I/O apparatus are provided.

According to an embodiment, a reversible I/O apparatus is presented,comprising: a motherboard attached to a sled; and a housing encasing thesled. The sled is attached to the housing and oriented with Input/Output(I/O) peripheral ports oriented to a front of the housing with the powerbutton and status indicator light.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a diagram depicting a covered reversible I/O apparatusoriented to depict the front, top, and one side of the reversible I/Oapparatus, according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 1B is a diagram depicting the reversible I/O apparatus housing withthe front bezel cover removed and no motherboard installed in thehousing, according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 1C is a diagram depicting the reversible I/O apparatus with the topcover and front bezel cover removed with an installed motherboardshowing the I/O ports to the motherboard with a front orientation,according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 1D is a diagram depicting the reversible I/O apparatus with thefront bezel cover removed with an installed motherboard showing the I/Oports to the motherboard with a front orientation, according to anexample embodiment.

FIG. 1E is a diagram depicting the reversible I/O apparatus with thefront bezel cover removed with an installed motherboard showing the fanportion of the motherboard with a front orientation, according to anexample embodiment.

FIG. 1F is a diagram depicting the reversible I/O apparatus with the topcover and the front bezel cover removed with an installed motherboardshowing the I/O ports to the motherboard with a front orientation andshowing a stacked installed orientation of the hard drive, according toan example embodiment.

FIG. 1G is a diagram depicting the reversible I/O apparatus with the topcover and the front bezel cover removed with an installed motherboardshowing the fan portion of the motherboard with a front orientation andshowing a stacked installed orientation of the hard drive, according toan example embodiment.

FIG. 1H is a diagram depicting the reversible I/O apparatus with the topcover and the front bezel cover removed with an installed motherboardshowing the I/O ports to the motherboard with a front orientation andshowing removal of the hard drive tray, according to an exampleembodiment.

FIG. 1I is a diagram depicting the reversible I/O apparatus with the topcover and the front bezel cover removed with removal of motherboardsled/tray and showing the I/O ports to the motherboard with a frontorientation when the motherboard sled/tray is removed from the housing,according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 1J is a diagram depicting the motherboard sled/tray independent ofthe housing, according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of a method for reversing I/O for a reversible I/Oapparatus, according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of POS terminal having the reversible I/O apparatus,according to an example embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1A is a diagram depicting a covered reversible I/O apparatus 100oriented to depict the front, top, and one side of the reversible I/Oapparatus, according to an example embodiment. It is to be noted thatthe configuration is shown schematically in greatly simplified form,with only those components relevant to understanding of this embodimentbeing illustrated.

The reversible I/O apparatus 100 depicted in the FIG. 1A shows a topcover 101, one or two sides 102, a front bezel cover 103, a turn knob104 to remove (unlock) the front bezel cover 103 from the housing of theapparatus 100 or to close and lock the front bezel cover 103 onto thehousing of the apparatus 100, a power button 105, LED status indicatorlights 106, and legs 107 (two of four legs 107 shown in the FIG. 1A.

The FIG. 1A illustrates a POS terminal (without attached peripherals:card reader, keyboard, display, receipt printer, signature pad, scanner,cash drawer. PIN pad, etc.) as it is viewed from its front user-facingorientation. This is the orientation that the reversible I/O apparatus100 is in when accessed (via the power button) by an operator to powerthe POS terminal on and off. This is also the orientation that a serviceengineer would encounter when first accessing the reversible I/Oapparatus 100 for service in a cabinet/enclosure.

FIG. 1B is a diagram depicting the reversible I/O apparatus housing 100with the front bezel cover removed and no motherboard installed in thehousing 100, according to an example embodiment.

In the FIG. 1B, the turn knob 104 has been turned counter clockwise (canalso be clockwise) to unlock the front bezel cover 103 from the housingexposing the inner cabinet of the housing 100 (which is empty in FIG. 1Bfor illustrative purposes).

In an embodiment, the bezel 103 includes a reinforced steel plate on aninside portion of the bezel 103 (the portion facing the I/O peripheralports 110 when front-facing). This provides structural rigidity to thebezel 103 when pushed against cabling connected to the I/O peripheralports 110).

The front bezel cover 103 includes slots through which the power button105 and LED status indicators 106 protrude for user access and uservisibility. The power button 105 and LED status indicators 106 areintegrated into a modular card on a front lip of the front of thehousing 100 and interfaced to the motherboard via cabling. As will bediscussed more completely herein and below the power button 105 and theLED status indicators 106 remain fixed in a front-facing orientationwithin the housing 100 irrespective of whether the I/O peripheral portsare front-facing or rear-facing within the housing 100.

The housing 100 also shows a recessed curved portion 109 of thefront-facing bottom of the housing 100 along with extended portion 108of the front-facing bottom of the housing 100. This creates a gapbetween the bottom of the front bezel 103 and the front-facing bottom ofthe housing when the bezel 103 is in a closed position and locked ontothe housing 100. In an embodiment, the gap is between 1-2 inches andforms a trapezoid shaped hole when the housing is assembled as shown inthe FIG. 1A (not visible in the FIG. 1A).

The gap permits cabling to run underneath the housing when thereversible I/O apparatus 100 is oriented with the I/O peripheral portsin a front-facing orientation/configuration. The legs 107 as shown inthe FIG. 1A also create a space underneath the housing for the cablingto run back to the rear of the reversible I/O apparatus 100 forconnection to the peripheral devices. In an embodiment, the height ofthe legs create about an inch to an inch and a half gap under thereversible I/O apparatus 100. In an embodiment, the legs are removable,if desired, to decrease the height of the reversible I/O apparatus 100(this would be when the I/O peripheral ports are in a rear-facingorientation/configuration).

The directional arrow in the FIG. 1B (and subsequent figures) isintended to illustrate the recession and gap created by the offset of108 and 109 and manufactured into the base of the bottom of the housing100.

FIG. 1C is a diagram depicting the reversible I/O apparatus 100 with thetop cover and front bezel cover removed with an installed motherboardshowing the I/O ports to the motherboard with a front orientation,according to an example embodiment.

In the FIG. 1C, the motherboard is oriented within the reversible I/Oapparatus 100 such that the I/O peripheral ports 110 are front-facing.

In this configuration, all the I/O peripheral ports 110 are accessibleto a server engineer by removing the front bezel 103 without removingthe entire reversible I/O apparatus 100 from its enclosure and possiblydisconnecting cabling to the I/O peripheral ports 110 in the process.When cabling is connected, it can be removed if needed and laid on thesurface that the reversible I/O apparatus 100 rests in line with thespecific ports 110 to which the removed cabling was originallyconnected. This improves servicing of the reversible I/O apparatus 100and can be done within the enclosure where the reversible I/O apparatus100 is natively stowed. The cabling runs under the reversible I/Oapparatus 100 in the space created by the legs 107 and behind the bezel103 in the gap created by recessed portion 109.

FIG. 1D is a diagram depicting the reversible I/O apparatus 100 with thefront bezel cover removed with an installed motherboard showing the I/Oports to the motherboard with a front orientation, according to anexample embodiment.

The FIG. 1D shows the front-facing I/O peripheral port 110 orientationwith the top cover 101 installed on the reversible I/O apparatus 100.

FIG. 1E is a diagram depicting the reversible I/O apparatus 100 with thefront bezel cover removed with an installed motherboard showing the fanportion of the motherboard with a front orientation, according to anexample embodiment.

The FIG. 1E shows the fan portion 112 of the motherboard in afront-facing orientation. Here, the I/O peripheral ports 110 are in arear-facing orientation (a traditional orientation).

FIG. 1F is a diagram depicting the reversible I/O apparatus 100 with thetop cover and the front bezel cover removed with an installedmotherboard showing the I/O ports to the motherboard with a frontorientation and showing a stacked installed orientation of the harddrive, according to an example embodiment.

The FIG. 1F shows the front-facing I/O peripheral ports of themotherboard in a front-facing orientation with the installed hard drive111.

FIG. 1G is a diagram depicting the reversible I/O apparatus 100 with thetop cover and the front bezel cover removed with an installedmotherboard showing the fan portion of the motherboard with a frontorientation and showing a stacked installed orientation of the harddrive, according to an example embodiment.

The FIG. 1G shows the fan portion 112 of the motherboard in afront-facing orientation with the installed hard drive 111.

It is noted that in either orientation fan-portion 112 front-facing orI/O peripheral ports 110 front facing, the hard drive 111 is alwaysfront facing for ease of access when the bezel 103 is removed from thereversible I/O apparatus 100.

FIG. 1H is a diagram depicting the reversible I/O apparatus 100 with thetop cover and the front bezel cover removed with an installedmotherboard showing the I/O ports to the motherboard with a frontorientation and showing removal of the hard drive tray, according to anexample embodiment.

The FIG. 1H illustrates that the hard drive 111 includes its ownremovable tray 113 from the reversible I/O apparatus 100 that stacks ontop of the motherboard. This permits the hard drive 111 to always befront-facing regardless of whether the reversible I/O apparatus 100 isin an I/O peripheral port 110 front-facing orientation or in a fanportion 112 front-facing orientation within the reversible I/O apparatus100. Cabling permits the port on the hard drive to connect to the properport on the motherboard underneath the removable tray 113. The removabletray 113 adapted to be removed and repositioned to ensure the hard drive111 is always front-facing.

FIG. 1I is a diagram depicting the reversible I/O apparatus 100 with thetop cover and the front bezel cover removed with removal of motherboardsled/tray and showing the I/O ports to the motherboard with a frontorientation when the motherboard sled/tray is removed from the housing,according to an example embodiment.

In the FIG. 1I the motherboard resides on a sled/tray 114 that isremovable from a base 115 of the housing of the reversible I/O apparatus100. The sled 114 can then be orientated to have front-facing I/Operipheral ports 110 or to have the fan portion 112 front-facing.

FIG. 1J is a diagram depicting the motherboard sled/tray 114 independentof the housing, according to an example embodiment.

The sled 114 of the motherboard is completely removable from thereversible I/O apparatus 100 for achieving a desired orientation for theI/O ports 110 (front-facing or rear-facing). The top of the sides ofsled includes holes that permit the card for the power button 105 andLED indicators 106 to connect via cabling within the housing to theproper ports 110 when the reversible I/O apparatus 100 has the ports 110oriented in a rear-facing configuration.

In an embodiment, the reversible I/O apparatus 100 is integrated withinand part of a POS terminal.

With the I/O peripheral ports 110 facing forward, accessing the I/Oports 110 for additional cables, removal or servicing existing cablingis much easier. When the POS terminal (motherboard housing) is removedfrom the cabinet or enclosure, the cables are facing the serviceengineer or customer. Therefore, there is no need to access the rear ofthe cabinet or enclosure. Once the cables are disconnected, they aresimply laid down in place. There is no need to re-position the cable noradd or remove cable slack. The terminal slides out of the enclosure orcabinet over the cables. Thus, the time required to remove the terminalfrom the enclosure is much less than if the I/O ports 110 wasrear-facing. Also, the risk of damaging the cables or connectors on themotherboard is significantly minimized from a conventional rear-facingI/O orientation. There is no need to pull the terminal with multipleconnected cables and stress the motherboard connectors, such as when theI/O is in a rear-facing orientation. Risk of dropping the terminal isminimized as well since both hands can now be used to remove theterminal without trying to use one hand to disconnect cables in the rearof the terminal.

One now appreciates how a POS terminal's motherboard housing can have areversible I/O port orientation depending on each installation need.This improves servicing and customer satisfaction while maximizing spaceutilization within a housing for the motherboard and hard drive(s) andwithout substantially impacting the overall size and dimensions of thehousing itself.

These and other embodiments are now discussed with reference to theFIGS. 2-3.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of a method 200 for reversing I/O for a reversibleI/O apparatus, according to an example embodiment.

In an embodiment, the I/O reversible I/O apparatus is the I/O reversibleapparatus 100 of the FIGS. 1A-1J.

In an embodiment, the I/O reversible apparatus is part of and integratedwithin a POS terminal.

At 210, a front bezel and a top cover is removed from a housing having amotherboard and a plurality of I/O peripheral ports.

In an embodiment, at 211, detaches cabling to a card for a power buttonand a status light indicator from a port on the motherboard.

In an embodiment, at 212, a hard drive tray having a hard drive isremoved from a top of the sled (discussed below at 220) and associatedcabling is removed from a port of the motherboard.

In an embodiment of 212 and at 213, the hard drive tray is re-orientedin a different position on the top of the sled ensuring the hard drivefrom the hard drive tray is accessible from the front of the housingwhen the front bezel is removed.

At 220, a sled is removed out of the housing where the sled includes themotherboard.

At 230, the sled is turned to orient I/O peripheral ports to face thefront bezel or where the front bezel was removed from the housing.

At 240, the sled is placed back into the housing.

In an embodiment, at 241, a cable is connected from a peripheral to oneof the I/O peripheral ports and the cable is weaved in a recessed gap ata front-facing bottom of the housing.

In an embodiment of 241 and at 242, the cable is further weaved under aspace of the housing created by legs on a bottom of the housing.

At 250, the front bezel and top cover is attached back on the housing.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of POS terminal 300 having the reversible I/Oapparatus, according to an example embodiment.

The POS terminal 300 includes at least one peripheral 302 and amotherboard integrated within a reversible I/O apparatus 302.

In an embodiment, the peripherals 301 include one or more of: a magneticcard reader, a keyboard, a signature pad, a cash drawer, amonitor/display, a touchscreen, a scanner, a printer, a receipt printer,a disk drive, a network device, and the others.

In an embodiment, the reversible I/O apparatus 302 is the reversible I/Oapparatus 110 of the FIGS. 1A-1J.

In an embodiment, the reversible I/O apparatus 302 is the revisable I/Oapparatus discussed above with the FIG. 2.

The motherboard integrated within the reversible I/O apparatus 302 isadapted to be oriented to a front of the housing for the motherboardwhere a power button and a status indicator are located.

In an embodiment, the I/O apparatus 302 is adapted to be removed fromthe housing.

In an embodiment of the latter embodiment, the I/O apparatus 302 isfurther adapted to be placed back in the housing with the I/O apparatus302 facing a rear of the housing.

The above description is illustrative, and not restrictive. Many otherembodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewingthe above description. The scope of embodiments should therefore bedetermined with reference to the appended claims, along with the fullscope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

In the foregoing description of the embodiments, various features aregrouped together in a single embodiment for the purpose of streamliningthe disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted asreflecting that the claimed embodiments have more features than areexpressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claimsreflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of asingle disclosed embodiment. Thus the following claims are herebyincorporated into the Description of the Embodiments, with each claimstanding on its own as a separate exemplary embodiment.

The invention claimed is:
 1. An apparatus, comprising: a motherboardattached to a sled; and a housing encasing the sled; wherein the sled isattached to the housing and oriented with Input/Output (I/O) peripheralports oriented to a front of the housing with the power button andstatus indicator light.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sled isadapted to be removed from the housing and oriented to a rear of thehousing opposite the power button and the status indicator light.
 3. Themethod of claim 1, wherein a front-facing bottom of the housing includesa gap between a front bezel of the housing and the front-facing bottom,the gap adapted to allow cables to run from the I/O ports to a rear ofthe housing.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the apparatus furtherincludes legs attached to a bottom of the housing creating a spaceadapted to allow the cables to run under the housing to the rear of thehousing.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the legs are adapted to beremoved from the bottom of the housing when the sled is removed and theI/O peripheral ports are oriented to the rear of the housing.
 6. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further includes a card slot ina front-side portion of the housing adapted for interfacing the powerbutton and the status indicator light.
 7. The method of claim 6, whereintop sides of the sled include a hole adapted to run an interface cablefrom the card to a specific I/O peripheral port in the rear of thehousing when the sled is removed and the I/O peripheral ports areoriented to the rear of the housing.
 8. The method of claim 1, whereinthe apparatus includes a hard drive port integrated into a tray, thetray adapted to be placed on top of the sled and under a top cover ofthe housing.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the tray is adapted to beremoved from the sled and oriented for access from the front of thehousing when the I/O peripheral ports are oriented to the front and whenthe I/O peripheral ports are oriented to a rear of the housing.
 10. Themethod of claim 1, wherein housing includes a removable bezel from thefront of the housing having a single knob to remove the bezel from thehousing and to lock the bezel to the housing.
 11. The method of claim 1,wherein an inside of the bezel includes a reinforced steel plate adaptedto provide rigidity against cables connected to the I/O peripheralports.
 12. A method, comprising: detaching a front bezel and a top coverof a housing; removing a sled having a motherboard out of the housing;turning the sled to orient Input/Output (I/O) peripheral ports to facethe front bezel; placing the sled back into the housing; and attachingthe front bezel and top cover back on the housing.
 13. The method ofclaim 12, wherein detaching further includes detaching cabling to a cardfor a power button and a status light indicator from a port on themotherboard.
 14. The method of claim 12, wherein detaching furtherincludes removing a hard drive tray from a top of the sled andassociated cabling from a port of the motherboard.
 15. The method ofclaim 14, wherein the detaching further includes re-orienting the harddrive tray in a different position on the top of the sled ensuing thehard drive from the hard drive tray is accessible from the front of thehousing when the front bezel is removed.
 16. The method of claim 12,wherein placing further includes connecting a cable from a peripheral toone of the I/O peripheral ports and weaving the cable in a recessed gapat a front-facing bottom of the housing.
 17. The method of claim 16,wherein connecting further includes weaving the cable under a space ofthe housing created by legs on a bottom of the housing.
 18. APoint-Of-Sale (POS) terminal, comprising: at least one peripheral; and amotherboard integrated within a reversible Input/Output (I/O) apparatusthat is adapted to be oriented to a front of a housing for themotherboard where a power button and a status indicator are located. 19.The POS terminal of claim 18, wherein I/O apparatus is adapted to beremoved from the housing.
 20. The POS terminal of claim 19, wherein I/Oapparatus is adapted to be placed back in the housing with the I/Oapparatus facing a rear of the housing.